"I wonder what you have done to draw the ire of Clan Master Qing?"

Ikasa speculated as soon as he entered the room. Recognizing the man, he purposely mocked him to stall for time.

While Hu Bei was focused on his words, he sneakily moved along the wall and approached the Serrated Sun Disc placed on the table.

Hu Bei didn't understand what Ikasa meant. Frustrated from the failure of their plan, he didn't have the patience to decipher Ikasa's insult.

He tried to attack the seemingly defenseless Ikasa, only to realize his legs were held in place by the shadows.

"What!"

Surprised by his condition, an involuntary exclamation escaped from Hu Bei's mouth.

Ikasa missed Hu Bei's struggles to free his legs because of the darkness in the room. His efforts to get to the table were also hindered by the lack of light.

So, when he heard Hu Bei exclaim, he assumed he was responding to his question.

'Damn my Sixth Sense! Why isn't it activating when I need it the most?'

Ikasa cursed as he fumbled his way through the blindingly dark room. To keep Hu Bei confused, he began to talk while moving around.

"Oh? Don't you know that Feng Yan resides here, in this Villa? I felt sorry for you after seeing your black and blue face the other day. So, you should consider escaping before he arrives."

Hearing Ikasa's words, he remembered the humiliation he suffered a week ago. Hu Bei's ears became hot and his lips trembled from anger. Ikasa's pitying tone was like salt on his wound.

Even though he wanted to attack he was unable to. Thus his response to Ikasa's mocking was cold silence.

While he talked, Ikasa had not given up on his endeavor to get his hands on his weapon. His efforts bore fruit and he felt the cold sharp edge of the disc slice his thumb.

He picked it up and tried to persuade Moony.

"Moony, take back your cover of darkness."

He did not receive any response from the fox. However, Hu Bei gasped.

"So that fox is yours?"

Now Hu Bei was trying to buy time to escape from his constraints by engaging Ikasa in talks. This was a fatal mistake on his part.

Ikasa turned and zeroed in on his position using his enhanced auditory senses. Hu Bei may have inhibitions about throwing his weapon based on sound,  but Ikasa had no such worries.

His weapon was meant to be launched!

To ensure his success, Ikasa strained his eyes and tried to locate Hu Bei in the darkness when suddenly his Sixth Sense activated.

'Even the Absolutes want you dead, Hu Bei! This is your punishment for intruding in my house!'

Ikasa fumed as the dark world became colorful for his eyes. Most of the room was painted in night blue color.

'This must be the color of Moony's energy.'

Ikasa thought as he searched for Hu Bei. He instantly found him.

Near his bed, a human-sized red light was bound by night blue tendrils at the ankles. They were slowly coiling upwards, binding more of his body. The speed of their movement was very slow.

'If I wait anymore, Moony may run out of energy before he can bind Hu Bei completely.'

Realizing the urgency, Ikasa launched his disc. The disc silently spun through the air towards its unaware target. By the time Hu Bei realized he was being attacked by the lethal object, it had already pierced his throat.

Ikasa lost his Spiritual sight as soon as he launched the attack. Without the aid of his Sixth Sense,  the thup sound was the only confirmation that his attack had connected.

As soon as Hu Bei died, Moony released his spell.

The dark shadows receded. In the moonlight, Ikasa saw a nearly headless corpse collapse to the floor.

This was the first time he had killed intentionally! Still, he didn't feel a shred of remorse because he had sentenced the man to death the moment he trespassed with ill intentions.

He calmly retrieved his Serrated Sun Disc from the half sliced neck of Hu Bei.

"Maybe if I was a bit more skillful, you could have joined the Headless Knights."

Ikasa grimly joked as he wiped his bloody disc on Hu Bei's clothes.

—---

In this dark night, Ikasa was not the only one whose weapon tasted blood.

Bam!

Gu Dan's Storm and Thunder Hammer smashed the head of some poor guy from the Monstrous Flame Sect.

"Can you two be a little less violent? We are supposed to stay low key, not announce our presence as garishly as possible!"

Lu Shao scolded the two old men with him. With the new weapons in their hands, they had become a bit too enthusiastic with their killing.

Gu Dan and Feng Yan's clothes were drenched with the blood of numerous Monstrous Sect Disciples who had discovered them so far. Feng Yan's Bloody Halberd had chopped at least three disciples in half while Gu Dan had smashed the heads of two.

And they had not even reached the gates of the Sect yet!

As usual, the two old men nodded at Lu Shao but ignored his instructions. They started looking for another poor soul to send to the Yamraja.

Tongue tied, Lu Shao shook his head and led the way straight to the Sect. There was no point in trying to sneak in when the smell of blood would expose them immediately.

—---

"Chu Qing, defend me. Luo Qiqi, attack the man to your left."

Hei Ying directed the battle against the intruders on the ground. The kids shielded Caretaker Han and a few other servants behind their backs.

"Pei Yuan and Sister Xin Ruo are doing great. They have taken care of more than half the men who came."

Yan Xiao commented, keeping an eye on the distant battlefield. Hei Ying had assigned him the task of taking care of any stragglers that may slip through their defense.

"Pei Yuan, you chose the Dagger! Now don't be afraid to use it! Stab that bastard before you! Don't you see the blood on his clothes? He was the one who killed our guards."

Xin Ruo shouted, twisting the neck of her opponent. She proved that she may act as innocent and naive, but she was the blood daughter of Red Eye; the man feared by most of the aristocracy of Sal City.

Pei Yuan hesitated a bit but ultimately thrust the weapon into the neck of his defeated foe, ending his life. Warm blood spurted on his hand as he removed the dagger.

It made him feel dirty, but also gave him a rush of exhilaration. He did not have time to ponder about these conflicting emotions as another guy attacked, with the intention to kill.

Ikasa watched the battle downstairs from his window, holding the exhausted fox in his hands. His hands itched to join the battle downstairs but he controlled his urges.

'I don't need to chaperone the kids. This is an ordeal that will prepare them for the future.'

In fact, he was surprised by his own thoughts. He gently caressed Moony's fur and murmured a question.

"Does this mean I am letting go of my norms from the Earth? Have I finally adapted to this brutal Cultivation World?"

Moony looked up at him, not understanding what he was saying. Nonetheless, he understood Ikasa was distressed. He gently rubbed Ikasa's chin with his head and lay down in his arms to rest.

Ikasa smiled at the little creature and stroked his head.

"I may be understanding the rules of this world, but I will change those rules one day."

When he looked at the battle downstairs, he no longer felt conflicted. No, he felt satisfaction from seeing his seedlings grow by devouring the blood of their enemies.

—---

"Brother, forces of the Hu Clan and the Monstrous Flame Sect have started to move. Shouldn't you start moving too?"

"Is Feng Yan or Gu Dan dead yet?"

Zhen Ya took a deep breath. She turned away from Zhen Wu and walked to the door. As if coming to a decision, she stopped.

"Brother, I should not tell you this but Father regards you the successor of the Zhen Family. Despite your mistakes and low cultivation, you are the only son who can succeed him as the Patriarch."

She turned slightly and looked at the gobsmacked Zhen Wu and asked him a vital question.

"Do you want to engage in petty politics for a third tier city and throw away a partner who has potential to grow far beyond? Or are you willing to support him and benefit our Zhen Family?"

Zhen Ya's heart thumped with apprehension and fear when she spoke. She was afraid her words would be constituted as interference and she would face the punishment of the Absolutes.

Thankfully nothing of the sort happened. Before she turned, she left one last piece of advice.

"Widen your view and think about it."